Data synchronizing system for multiple memory array processing field organized data

Abstract

A data system includes a memory array operative together with a memory controller and a processor. The processor includes a control input which receives user commands. A plurality of data channels are provided for output and input of independent data streams from and to the memory array. A field rate clock provides field rate clock signals to the data channels. In several embodiments, each data channel includes a data stream synchronization system which includes a data queue for receiving a succession of data fields within the data channel and an ideal queue tightly coupled to and operatively associated with each data queue to provide a correct field reference for use in synchronizing the data queue. In an alternate embodiment, a plurality of data queues are tightly coupled to a common ideal queue. The system control apparatus is operative upon the common ideal queue or the ideal queues within each data channel to control the sequence of fields therein. Each data queue within each channel responds to and follows its associated ideal queue in the creation of its input data field.

That which is claimed is: 
     
       1. A data stream synchronizing system for use in processing a data stream organized into a plurality of fields, the data stream synchronizing system comprising: a clock for providing field incrementing clock signals;   a synchronizing queue means for forming a first succession of first data fields by repetitively creating a first input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created first input data field through the synchronizing queue in response to each of the field incrementing clock signals;   a data queue means for forming a second succession of second data fields by repetitively creating a second input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created second data field through the data queue, each of the second input data fields being created in direct correspondence to a concurrent one of the first input data fields and each of the second input data fields having data received or assembled therein during the incremental advancing; and   memory means for storing the data received in the second input data fields or retrieving the data assembled in the second input fields.   
     
     
       2. The data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 1 further including control means, responsive to a control signal, for selecting each first input data field from the plurality of fields in the data stream. 
     
     
       3. The data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of the first input data fields includes a field number and a field rate. 
     
     
       4. The data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the control means selects the field number and the field rate in accordance with the control signal. 
     
     
       5. The data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the data stream is video data formed from data stored within the memory means and wherein the control signal is provided by a video user. 
     
     
       6. A method of synchronizing a data stream organized into a plurality of data fields, the method comprising the steps of: providing periodic field clock signals;   forming a plurality of first data fields by repetitively creating a first data field in response to each of the field clock signals;   incrementally advancing each successively created first data field through a synchronizing queue in response to each of the field clock signals to form a succession of first data fields;   forming a plurality of second data fields, each second data field being formed in direct correspondence to the creation of a concurrent one of the first data fields;   incrementally advancing the second data fields through a second data queue in response to the field clock signals; and   receiving or assembling selected portions of the data stream within the second data fields as the second data fields are incrementally advanced through the second data queue.   
     
     
       7. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein the steps of forming a plurality of first data fields and forming a plurality of second data fields each include establishing a queue having N fields. 
     
     
       8. The method set forth in claim 7 wherein the steps of incrementally advancing the plurality of first data fields and incrementally advancing the plurality of second data fields each include a step of outputting the Nth data field on each clock signal once each respective Nth data field is full. 
     
     
       9. The method set forth in claim 6 wherein the step of receiving or assembling includes the step of retrieving the selected portions from a memory. 
     
     
       10. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein the step of receiving or assembling the selected portions includes receiving the data stream from an external source and wherein the step of outputting the Nth data field includes storing the Nth data field in a memory. 
     
     
       11. The method set forth in claim 6 further including the step of receiving a control signal indicative of a data field output rate and wherein the step of forming a plurality of first data fields includes the steps of: selecting a sequence of to-be-outputted data fields from the data stream in response to the control signal; and   creating each one of the new first data fields in accordance with the selected sequence.   
     
     
       12. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein the control signal includes field rate and data stream location information. 
     
     
       13. A data stream synchronization system for use in processing a field-organized data stream in response to a control signal, the data synchronization system comprising: a source of field clock signals;   a synchronizing queue for creating a plurality of input first data fields selected in response to the control signal and for incrementally advancing the plurality of input first data fields through the synchronizing queue in response to the field clock signals; and   a data queue for receiving or assembling a plurality of data fields from the data stream by creating a plurality of input data fields in which each input data field is created in direct correspondence to the creation of one of a concurrent one of the input first data fields.   
     
     
       14. A data synchronizing system for synchronizing a data stream organized into a plurality of data fields, comprising: means for providing periodic field clock signals;   means for creating a plurality of first data queue fields by creating a synchronizing queue data field in response to each of the field clock signals;   means for forming a synchronizing queue by incrementally advancing the synchronizing queue data fields in response to the field clock signals;   means for creating a plurality of data queue data fields, each of the data queue data fields corresponding to a concurrent one of the synchronizing queue data fields formed in the means for creating a synchronizing queue data field;   means for forming a data queue by incrementally advancing the data queue data fields in response to the field clock signals; and   means for receiving or assembling selected portions of the data stream within each of the data queue data fields as the data queue is incremented.   
     
     
       15. The data synchronizing system set forth in claim 14 wherein the means for forming a synchronizing queue and the means for forming a data queue each include establishing a queue having N fields. 
     
     
       16. The data synchronizing system set forth in claim 15 wherein the means for incrementally advancing the synchronizing queue data fields and the means for incrementally advancing the data queue data fields each include means for outputting the Nth data field on each clock signal once each respective queue is full. 
     
     
       17. The data synchronizing system set forth in claim 14 wherein the means for assembling includes means for retrieving the selected portions from a memory. 
     
     
       18. The data synchronizing system set forth in claim 16 wherein the means for assembling includes means for receiving the data stream from an external source and wherein the means for outputting the Nth data field includes means for storing the Nth data field from the data queue in a memory. 
     
     
       19. The data synchronizing system set forth in claim 14 further including means for receiving a control signal indicative of a data queue output rate and wherein the means for forming a synchronizing queue include: means for selecting a sequence of to-be-outputted data fields from the data stream in response to the control signal; and   means for creating each one of the new synchronizing queue data fields in accordance with the selected sequence.   
     
     
       20. The data synchronization system set forth in claim 19 wherein the control signal includes field rate and data stream location information. 
     
     
       21. A method for synchronizing a data stream for use in processing a data stream organized into a plurality of fields, the method comprising the steps of: receiving field incrementing clock signals;   repetitively creating a first input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created first input data field through a synchronizing queue in response to each of the field incrementing clock signals;   repetitively creating a second input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created second input data field through a data queue to form a second succession of second data fields each having received or assembled data therein, each of the second input data fields being created in direct correspondence to the first input data fields; and   storing the received data in or retrieving the assembled data from a memory means.   
     
     
       22. A method for synchronizing a data stream for use in processing a field-organized data stream in response to a control signal, the method comprising the steps of: providing field clock signals;   creating a succession of input first data fields in response to the field clock signals, each input first data field being selected in response to the control signal; and   receiving or assembling a succession of input data fields from the data stream in which each input data field is created in direct correspondence to a simultaneously created one of the input first data fields.   
     
     
       23. The data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the memory means is a memory array. 
     
     
       24. A data stream synchronizing system for use in processing a data stream organized into a plurality of fields, the data stream synchronizing system comprising: a clock for providing field incrementing clock signals;   a synchronizing queue for forming a first succession of first data fields by repetitively creating a first input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created first input data field through the synchronizing queue in response to each of the field incrementing clock signals;   a plurality of data queues which each form a second succession of second data fields by repetitively creating a second input data field and incrementally advancing each successively created second data field through that data queue, each concurrent one of the second input data fields within each of the data queues being created in direct correspondence to a concurrent one of the first input data fields and each of the second input data fields within each of the data queues having data received or assembled therein during the incremental advancing; and   memory means for storing the data receiving in the second input data fields within each of the data queues or retrieving the data assembled in the second input data fields within each of the data queues.   
     
     
       25. A data stream synchronizing system as set forth in claim 16 further including means, operative upon the data queue, for inhibiting creation of the second data fields and incremental advance of the second data fields.